GUNNISON, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team falls just short in an overtime sprint at Western Colorado University Saturday evening.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
- Final Score: UCCS 82, WCU 84
- Records: UCCS (11-15, 7-12 RMAC) | WCU 10-16 (7-13 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Paul Wright Gym | Gunnison, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions have a 16-5 record over the Mountaineers in the all-time series.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first half of play was a dead heat between the two squads, with neither team able to build or sustain much of a lead. UCCS lead by eight points with 6:47 to play in the first, but Western Colorado would chip away down the stretch, and pull within one point at 34-33 as the buzzer sounded for the intermission.
- Though Western Colorado was able to make up ground, UCCS held off the push. The Mountain Lions held the lead for the last 9:14 of the first, after the Mountaineers tied the game at 15 all at the 10:46 mark.
- In the second half, the teams continued to trade blows. In a true display of a balanced attack on both ends of the floor, no player in the game scored in the double digits in the second half, with Xavier Martinez (9) and Trevin Leick (8) being the scoring leaders for each side in the period.
- With ten seconds to play in regulation, Kade Juelfs would get the call for WCU to take the last shot, but couldn't convert to usher in overtime at 73-73.
- After both teams knocked down a pair of free throws, UCCS looked to take control after a Hannes Saar layup fell, followed by a Mac Stodart trip to the free throw line gave UCCS the chance to push the lead to four. Stodart would only hit one of the two shots to make the lead three at 78-75.
- It was then that Western went to work on offense, getting back to back triples from Christian Still and Kade Juelfs to tie, then take the three point lead at 81-78.
- The Mountain Lions would pull within one point on back to back free throws made from Mac Stodart, but a Tyler Halligan three-pointer would go down as the dagger, pushing the Mountaineers past the Mountain Lions 84-82 at Paul Wright Gym.
GAME STATISTICS
- Both teams shared the ball in Gunnison this evening, as no players scored over the 20 point mark in the game. Tyler Halligan led the Mountaineers with 14, as Xavier Martinez led all scorers with 18.
- The Mountaineers outshot UCCS from beyond the arc, hitting eight triples over UCCS' five, including three in overtime.
- Both Jayden Washington and Mac Stodart reeled in nine rebounds, as Stodart narrowly missed the double-double, having 17 points in the game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UCCS' 26.3% from three-point range was the fourth lowest in a game this season, with the five made threes the second fewest in a contest this winter.
- Xavier Martinez set a new career high for minutes played, playing 44 minutes, and only sitting out for one minute of action.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions return home on Friday, March 1st to face off with CSU Pueblo at 7 p.m.
SOCIAL
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@GoMountainLions
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@gomountainlions
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
